The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-09-16
The MankatO Fire Department Responds
to a Call, but Arrives too Late for Aid.
InCendiarism Thought to Have CAUSED
the 0OnAagration.
Total Loss Estimated at Sixty
Thousand Dollars.

form Marston & Larson's dry goods
store, but before the alarm could be
sounded the fire had communicated
to the adjoining buildings, restaur-
ant on the left and a saloon on the
right. Lake Crystal has good fire de-
partment but poor facilities for bringing
it into action. Before stream of water
could be forced through the hose, it was
necessary to generate steam in the en-
CINE which serves both the Omaha rail-
road and the village for fire protection.
A precious half hour was consumed in
firing up this engine and getting up
steam enough to draw water from the
lake. When at last this was accomplish
ed the flames had
GAINED SUCH HEADwAY
that the efforts of the firemen and citi-
zens could not subdue or even control
them. The fire fiend had attacked the
remainder of the block and the awful
sight of seven of their principal business
houses on fire at once met the gaze of
the unhappy citizens who had turned
out en- masse to save what they could
from ruin. At this juncture the fire de-
partment of Mankato was telegraphed
for and the hook and ladder company
and hose company responded to the
call and was carried to the scene of des-
truction on a special train. No four
mile an hour ordinance was thought of
as the train sped through the city. 1t
was three o'clock when the message ar
rived and half or three-quarters of an
hour later the aid reached Lake Crystal.
By that time there was no use of help,
for what could the devouring element
do when there was nothing left to sub
sist upon? The whole block, the finest
and largest in Lake Crystal was
MASS OF sMoULDERING RUINS,
a heap of ashes. Nothing remained
standing except the vault of the State
Bank which stood as gravestone to
mark the tomb of many a mans hopes
and the earnings OF years.
The fire started in Marston & Larson's
store, and spread to the right and left
until the whole block had been destroy
ed. So rapid was the spread of the flames
that but little could be saved from the
contents of the buildings. In most cases
all was lost. During the fire an explo-
sion, either of kerosene or powder, oc-
Cured, and after that the appalled, crowd
did not dare to approach very near the
buildings, for fear of repetition of the
explosion.
The entire contents of the Office of Jus.
tlce of the Peace Mead were destroyed,
including the town records. Mr.. Lorin
Cray lost his entire law library and near
ly all of his private papers, inclndine tho
results and records of years of hard study
and labor. This last fact makes the loss
doubly hard. The Union Office was
burned out, the entire plant being de-
stroyed. Marston & Larson had spent
last evening removing a large stock OF
cIoaks, valued at $500, from the depot to
In0lT bJOIO. 4hCf "OlO OsAA yAhS =" ASA -
stock of goods, and but few articles OF
value were saved.
All but two or three of the buildings
destroyed were frame structures, and
quite old. The two or three were brick
veneered. All but two were two stories
in height, the second stories being occu
pied as offices.
WAS 1T INCENDIARY?
Some of the parties first upor
the scene of the fire when the
alarm was given claim that the fire
started in several buildings at once
Though there is no direct evidence tc
prove it, nevertheless it is generally
considered that the fire was of no acct
dental origin but was started by some
fiend in human shape. This theory ii